Are Beets Good for Your Heart?

Yes, beets can be part of a heart-healthy diet because their dietary nitrates help the body make nitric oxide, which helps blood vessels relax.

Are beets a heart-healthy food?

Beets can contribute to a varied eating pattern that includes vegetables, fruits, beans, whole grains and unsaturated fats. They provide fiber and nutrients, but eating beets alone is not a proven way to prevent or treat heart disease.

Think of beets as one option among the best foods for heart health, rather than a substitute for the rest of your diet or medical care. If you have heart disease or high blood pressure, continue following your clinician’s recommended care plan.

How might beets support the heart?

Beets contain dietary nitrates. The body can convert some of these nitrates into nitric oxide, a molecule that helps blood vessels relax and supports normal blood flow. Blood vessel function matters for the heart because the heart pumps blood through those vessels.

That mechanism is a reason researchers are interested in beets, but it does not establish how much benefit a person gets from eating them. Nitrate content and the body’s response can vary. A potential effect on blood vessels is also different from a proven reduction in heart attacks or strokes.

Whole beets contain fiber, folate and potassium. These contribute to overall nutrition, but the presence of those nutrients does not prove that beets have a particular effect on an individual’s heart health.

What does the evidence show about beets and heart health?

We found no studies on whether eating beets lowers blood pressure or prevents heart attacks, strokes or death. That does not mean such studies do not exist; it means a reliable estimate of benefit cannot be given here.

The nitrate pathway is biologically plausible, but a plausible mechanism is not the same as evidence of a meaningful health outcome. For example, even an observed short-term change in a blood pressure reading would not, by itself, prove that a food prevents heart disease over the long term.

It is also important to distinguish whole beets from beet juice or concentrated supplements. They are different products, and a finding about one form cannot automatically be applied to another. No specific amount of beets can be recommended here as a proven way to improve heart outcomes.

How can you add beets to a heart-healthy diet?

Choose beets in a form you enjoy and can fit into your usual meals. Wash fresh beets under running water; they can be eaten raw, shredded, or cooked until tender. Add sliced or chopped beets to a salad or grain bowl, or serve them alongside beans and other vegetables.

Plain canned beets can be a convenient option. Check the label for sodium and added sugar, particularly with pickled or seasoned products. If you have been advised to limit sodium, compare labels and choose an option that fits your care plan.

Whole beets are one way to get fiber as part of a meal. Beet juice generally has less fiber than whole beets, and concentrated beet supplements can vary in strength. Neither is necessary to make a diet heart-healthy.

For beverage choices, see the best drinks for heart health.

Who should be careful with beets, and when should you see a doctor?

If you have kidney disease or have been told to limit potassium, ask your clinician or a registered dietitian how beets fit your eating plan. If you have had calcium oxalate kidney stones, ask for individual advice before regularly eating large amounts of beets, which contain oxalates.

If you take blood pressure medication or have low blood pressure, speak with your clinician before regularly using concentrated beet products, especially if you experience dizziness or faintness. Do not stop or change prescribed medication because you eat beets or use a beet product.

Pregnant people and parents considering beet supplements for children should check with a clinician first. Beets can generally be eaten as food; for young children, prepare them in an age-appropriate way to reduce choking risk.

Beets can turn urine or stool pink or red, but do not assume that an unexplained color change is from food. Contact a clinician if you notice red urine or stool and are unsure of the cause. Seek urgent care for bloody or black, tarry stools, or blood in urine accompanied by pain or clots.

Call emergency services immediately for chest pain or pressure, sudden trouble breathing, fainting, or possible stroke signs such as sudden facial drooping, arm weakness or trouble speaking. Do not wait to see whether food helps.